Save Your Heart
by musicxnotes3
Summary: "That's my que." She said. He couldn't do it. He couldn't watch her marry someone who wasn't him. He couldn't watch her leave him forever and never have a fake-out-make-out again, and more importantly, never have a real makeout. It was just too hard. "Sam." He said before he could stop himself. The love of his life was marrying someone else. DxS AU
1. Prologue

_**A/N: Good evening, children. Are you ready for a Danny Phantom tale?**_

_**Okay, so this is slight AU, PP did happen, and it's all canon, but Danny and Sam did not get together. I know the whole 'Danny is fighting ghosts around the world' sounds cheesy, but you'll see what I plan to do with it.**_

_**The first chapter is just introducing the relationship between my OC/Sam, but it will not last! I just want you guys to have some kind of idea about their relationship and Sam's life at the time. It kind of helps you get an understanding on her when he dies. So this is not for the OC/Sam romance, but strictly for character development for Sam, and as much as I love this OC, he has to die, so don't get too attached!**_

_**Welcome aboard, sailors!**_

_**Save Your Heart**_

_Prologue_

* * *

_She was quiet that day, overly stressed from all the chaos the day had offered. She remembered it all quite clearly even now, though it was somewhat hazy until the point she sat in that particular spot on the train. She always sat in that spot, at that time of day, 3 cars down from the front of the train. It was usually around 7:30PM when she could pull herself together and catch the 7:44 train back to Amity. Those days were some of the worst, and being home only made it all the more unbearable. For five days a week every week, she trucked herself down to school two towns away and dragged herself back home when she could manage it. Things were difficult, to say the least, with Tucker busy being the mayor and Danny traveling the globe. She wasn't sure why he left Amity; it was something about 'the earth needing him'. She never bought it, and she often missed them terribly. She had to force herself not to think about him, which was almost as terrible as him being gone in the first place. But she knew, as she always did, that he'd only seen her as a best friend, a companion, no different from Tucker._

_Casper was awful without her two best friends beside her. Danny's fangirls made it worse, especially Paulina. It was hard to meet people as a senior; if you were going to be their friends you were supposed to do it years ago. So, with very little conversation with her parents, they happily sent her to a prestigious school in a suburb nearby. She hadn't made many friends, she usually didn't but nobody bothered her or cared to whisper rumors about her so she wasn't too concerned about it. _

_Truthfully, she hadn't noticed him. She never did, but it wasn't personal or anything, she never noticed anyone on the train. She was dreadfully lucky he noticed her, with her black hoodie pulled up over her eyes and her body crunched against a window as to not make eye contact. _

_It was beyond her that every single day, he was on that same train, that same car, just right across her. And he always noticed her. So really it was impossible for him not to see the bags under her eyes that day, the clear signs of stress and exhaustion. He'd loved her long before she did him. _

_So that day, at precisely 7:48 PM on a Thursday night, he carefully made his way across and up the stairs to where she was sitting. She was dazed, her eyes plastered out the window and her forehead against the glass, but that didn't stop him from making conversation._

"_Tired?" He said, a smile on his face though a bit timid. _

_Her eyes widened a bit at his audacious attempt to hit on her. Hadn't he noticed she clearly was not in the mood to talk to anyone? She turned to glare at him with mixed emotions, because he seemed like a nice kid and she didn't want him to cry on her, so she couldn't very well snap at him or tell him to get lost._

_Without a word, she turned back to the window. _

_He looked awkward a moment, but unfortunately her glare was ineffective. _

"_Ah, I see, not much for talking? That's okay, lucky for you I'm a great talker." _

_She sighed angrily, snapped her head back to look at him. "Can't you see I'm busy?" _

_He looked taken aback for a moment, staring at her with wide eyes that almost made her feel guilty. But he quickly recovered with a grin that surprised her._

"_So you do talk. Great, I was beginning to think this conversation would be completely one-sided." _

_She was flabbergasted. A boy that wouldn't judge her for her choice of style seemed like a good person to converse with, but then again, he could be a crazy pervert who was just into that sort of thing._

"_Well don't get your hopes up yet." She replied, though lacking in the venom she'd planned. She must've still been recovering._

_He chuckled softly, making her cheeks tint pink as she once more turned to face the window. He reminded her of.. No, don't think about him._

"_But aren't you contradicting yourself with that statement? By saying that, you're talking to me therefore making the conversation two-sided." He said a little bit condescendingly. _

_She smiled a little at his clever remark. She missed talking to people who could keep up with her like he could. _

"_Then I guess I should just stop talking." She countered, all the anger leaving as the enthusiasm to talk to someone came crashing in._

"_No, you don't want to do that." He said, dramatically shaking his hands out in front of him. _

_She turned to him, raising her eyebrows questioningly. "And why not?" _

_He smirked, complimenting his gorgeous grey eyes. "Because, you like talking to me, I can tell." _

_She laughed softly, and it almost sounded unfamiliar to her now. "And you know me so well?" _

"_Oh yeah," He began playfully, "You've got the angry teenage look going so well for you, how could I not?" _

_She snorted, "Angry teenage look?" _

"_Of course, what with the scowl and the glare. You seem to have perfected it." He grinned._

_She smiled softly, slightly impressed that he'd known not to mention her choice of dress. Perhaps this boy was different than most who just want to flirt with anything that has boobs._

"_Oh my, it's like you've known me all my life!" She exclaimed sarcastically. She blushed when she heard him laugh in response. But she was a Goth for Christ's sake! Goth's don't blush! _

"_Maybe you were in my past life or something." He replied humorously, his eyes glinting at her in a way that made her keep her eyes firmly planted on him._

_Before, she'd always keep a level head talking to people, keeping it strictly professional, but it was like she'd known him forever, like he was just one of her best friends like Danny or Tucker. _

"_So where are you coming from?" He asked casually._

"_School." She drawled._

"_Sucks. And you're a… Junior? Where do you go?" He continued, trying his absolute best to keep the conversation going._

"_Hmmm," she hummed playfully, "I don't usually tell strangers where I go to school." _

_He grinned shamelessly, dazzling her momentarily. She'd been away from regular, non-snobbish people for so long it was almost mind blowing how engaged she had become in their conversation. _

"_I'm Ronan. Ronan Wilde. You know, like 'Runnin' Wild?" He joked, putting his hand out to shake hers._

_She snorted at his cheesy pun and met his hand. And, for some reason, as soon as she put her hand in his it felt like she would never have to let go._

_But oh how wrong she was._

"_Sam Manson." She smiled. _

_He mirrored her expression and added, "Well Sam, I guess we're not strangers anymore."_

_She laughed, genuinely, and honestly she didn't care if she would miss her stop talking to him. He was new best friend material, maybe even boyfriend material._

_A blue eyed boy briefly crossed her mind before she mentally shook him away._

"_I'm actually a senior. I go to Loyola*, the high school." _

"_Senior, eh? Me too. Isn't Loyola that huge-" He began questioningly, a little surprised that a girl like her would be going to such a snobby school._

"_Yeah, I know. It's huge and judgmental, but everyone leaves me alone there. I used to go to Casper High in Amity, but my friends… They dropped out… Or something." Her voice proceeded to break off as she went on._

"_That's too bad, I just transferred there this year. I guess we're lucky we're on the same train, huh?" He continued a little cautiously, sensing discomfort on the subject._

"_Guess so." She said with a soft smile just as a mechanical voice called her stop._

_She was awkward a moment, nearly missing the announcement entirely._

"_Uh, this is actually my stop, so.." She said sheepishly. _

"_Oh, yeah, I guess I'll… See you around?" He replied hopefully._

"_Definitely." She confirmed, slipping past him to get to the stairs down from the top leading to the door._

_She spared him a glance before walking out of the sliding doors, a twinge of regret lingering in her heart._

* * *

_It was raining as she left the platform, so she held her sweater over her head as she waited for the arrival of the limo her mother sent. She'd constantly voted against it, but she was told it would make her mother feel safer._

"_Sam!" A familiar voice called, making her turn her head to the right where she'd just left._

_A sandy haired, grey eyed boy rushed after her in the pouring rain._

"_I thought this wasn't your stop!" She yelled in reply._

_He jogged up to her, his breath coming out in heavy puffs._

"_I know.. It-It isn't but.. I want you to have this." He said, handing her a wrinkled and slightly damp piece of notebook paper._

_She glanced at the somewhat smudged ink._

"_It's my number. I liked talking to you today, and I didn't.. I didn't wanna take the chance that I wouldn't see you again. I want to talk to you again." He stuttered timidly._

_And with her makeup smearing under her eyes, and her lipstick nearly gone, she grinned at him, simply ecstatic that she'd finally have somehow to help her navigate her final high school year and possibly through college._

"_Me too." She beamed._

"_Great… Then I- Well I better.." He said awkwardly, motioning to the plat form as he began to leave._

_Halfway there, he was thrilled to hear her call:_

"_I'll call you!"_

* * *

**Review?;)**

****I know some of you that go to Loyola may be offended, but I'm afraid that's the biggest, fairly rich school I can think of in Illinois. But I am open for suggestions!**


	2. Chapter 1 Wishes

He held his breath.

3 years since he'd seen her last, 2 months since he'd last wrote her, and here he was, standing outside of a white door he was certain she was behind.

He was shocked, to say the least, when he received an elegant, swirly black invitation in the mail just shortly after he sent her a letter asking her how she was. It wasn't the first time they wrote to each other. Occasionally he'd send her a postcard, maybe stick around long enough for her reply. The first few times she didn't bother, and he assumed that it was because of him. Ronan, as it said on the invitation. But within the past year she'd been responding, long and detailed. But she never mentioned him. Not once. He nearly had a heart attack when he got the invitation in the mail. But the worst part wasn't receiving it, nor telling them he'd for sure be there as a supporting best friend should, it was writing the letter telling her that he wanted to come back, to be there for her, not as a best friend. Of course he didn't send it. How could he now?

Still, the letter was in his car, and he was suddenly very tempted to run and get swallowed back that awful urge. He was here for her. He would do it for her.

He knocked lightly on the door, his throat clogged with heavy weights of nervousness and emotion.

"Come in." She said carefreely, happily, like a bride should on her wedding day.

He full on expected a black dress, heavy thick black makeup of sorts, but he was taken aback at the simple white he caught a glimpse of as he walked in.

She turned, slowly, catching his face in the mirror.

He froze, his sturdy, heavy breaths getting caught in his throat somewhere.

Her hair was up, loose around her head and falling down in straight bangs on the sides of her face. She had matured over the years, and her simple, lacy white dress accented it as it clung in all the right places making her hips look larger and her waist seem smaller. It was adorned in flower lace patterns and a train in the back. The front was simple, a bit of a heart shape but long-sleeved and fit for the time of the year; late spring.

"Danny." She breathed, a smile beginning to work it's way onto her elegant face. She lit up like the sun, swiftly walking to wrap her arms around him.

He was dazed for a moment, enamored by her and her lovely rose scent. He tightly wrapped his arms around her, wishing that it was him that she was looking that beautiful for. He wished it was him that she wore that creamy white wedding dress for. He wished it was him that she'd be hugging for the rest of her life, smelling her hair and burying his nose in her neck. He wished he'd been there. He wished she wasn't leaving him forever.

He was disappointed when he felt her letting go.

_He didn't wanna let go._

"I'm so happy you could make it, I was a little worried I sent the invitation too late." She said gracefully, keeping him at arm's length.

"You look…" _Beautiful__, _he wanted to say, but the words escaped him. She was more than beautiful today.

"I know, I know" She began shyly, "White isn't usually my color, Ronan wanted it, so we compromised. I would wear white if everything else is black."

He chuckled lightly, ecstatic to see she was still the same old Sam.

It was quiet for a few seconds.

They both looked away awkwardly, neither not knowing what was okay to say.

He spoke first, but mostly because he wanted to know.

"You didn't tell me." He said, a little bit hoarse from the betrayal he was feeling.

He looked up, and he could see the tears glinting in her violet eyes, and he swore she was the most beautiful thing he would ever see in his life.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I just… 'Hey, Danny, by the way, I've been in a relationship for 2 years and I'm getting married!' There was just never a right time to say it."

He looked away, nodding slightly with a bitter-sweet smile on his face. He didn't care about the timing. He just wished she'd told him so he could…

_He could do what?_

_Steal her away from the man that was there when he wasn't?_

"He told me to write to you, you know." She said casually, moving to sit back down and fix whatever makeup was ruined by the emotional reunion.

She smiled when she saw him look up, his face giving away his utter astonishment.

"Yeah," She began, powdering her face and physically wincing as it settled on her skin, "At first, when I got your letters, I didn't know how to respond. I was honestly upset that you even left in the first place, and I was finding it really hard to get over that."

He looked pained, hell, he felt pained. He wished he didn't leave in the first place too.

"But Tucker…" He began weakly, half-knowing the answer already.

"Was busy," She sighed, pulling out a mascara tube and nearly poking herself in the eye 3 times, "I mean, yeah we still hungout sometimes, but it wasn't the same. He had to grow up fast, ya' know?" She slowly stood up, looking down for her shoes. He could tell heels weren't her thing by the look on her face.

"But Ronan… He told me that you didn't leave to hurt me, you left to help people, to make a difference. And then… I realized I was stupid. What you did was hard to do, and I didn't make it easier. I'm sorry." She paused, staring deeply into his eyes.

There was a brief moment, a moment he might've missed had he not been so intrigued by her words.

A moment where time froze as their eyes were on each other, walls down, hearts connected, just like it was before.

And it felt like he'd never left in the first place, like they were still teenagers in love.

"I missed you, Sam." He said affectionately, tears in his ocean eyes.

"I know, Danny, and I missed you too." She replied, taking him in her arms again. Because this time, it wasn't reuniting, it was reconnecting, it was forgiveness.

"You're gonna love him, Danny, I know it." She said with a smile, and though he smiled back, he wished there was no _him. _

_What I love is you. _

A knock on the door let them know that it was time, and in a bitter-sweet soft of way, he was both thankful and sorrowful at the sound of it. Thankful, because now he wouldn't say something stupid, like 'don't marry him'. Sorrowful, because now he'd have to see her marry him.

"That's my que." She said, gathering her dress up in her fist and sliding her feet into her shoes.

He couldn't do it.

He couldn't watch her marry someone who wasn't him.

He couldn't watch her leave him forever and never have a fake-out-make-out again, and more importantly, never have a real makeout.

It was just too hard.

"Sam." He said before he could stop himself.

She turned, her lilac eyes greeting his and waiting for what it was he wanted to say.

_But she looked so happy._

So pleasant, so pretty and so in love.

He felt tears gather in his eyes rapidly, but he pushed them back down, along with the words he ached to say.

"Good luck out there." He said instead.

She smiled brilliantly, her eyes lighting up in ways he vaguely remembered when they were kids. Those looks weren't for him anymore. They were for someone else. Forever.

"See you out there." She replied, with the softest little giggle.

And as soon as he heard the door close, he sat in the chair she had minutes before, and cried for the first time in years.

The love of his life was marrying someone else.

The ceremony was beautiful, black, just like she said it would be. A black carpet lead up the aisle, contrasting with the pure white marble floor.

Thick, black silk bows and fabrics hung off the pews and everything was beautiful.

But the most beautiful was most definitely the bride.

Samantha Manson strolled up the aisle, a sheer veil in front of her eyes and dark black roses in her hands. She was grinning like a love-sick fool, and it was the best he'd ever seen her.

For a moment or two their eyes met, and her breath caught. The way he looked at her, the way she looked back, they could've fooled the guests for the bride and groom.

She hastily looked back to the front, needing to focus on her husband-to-be rather than Danny Fenton.

The rings were the hardest part. The part where they said their vows. His were touching, flattering, but all they did to a certain guest was stir an awful feeling inside. Hers were worse, equally loving and touching and flattering.

It should've been him up there.

He wished it were him up there.

And secretly, he wanted her to wish it were him too.

When the applause came and they kissed to seal the deal, he looked away, wishing to be somewhere else, ironically after he wished the whole day he never was somewhere else.

But in the end that's all they were.

Just wishes.


	3. Chapter 2 Friend

_'__You can't leave me now!' She pleaded, her makeup leaving a thick black trail down her face like when they'd first met. 'We only just got married!'_

_Tears fell from his own eyes and he begged her to be happy, to stop crying. He mumbled apologies, weakly trying to place his hand on hers._

_She roughly planted kisses on his face, like they would somehow keep him alive._

_Flatline._

**_-Save Your Heart-_**

* * *

Catching up with Tucker was a distraction. Given, not a very good one, but a distraction from the clinking of silverware symbolizing a plea for the newlyweds to kiss and the happy atmospheres and the touching speeches.

Danny and Tucker were seated very close to the table Sam sat at with her husband, and every now and then they'd wave to each other.

Sensing his discomfort, Tucker began, "She missed you, you know."

Danny frowned. "Tucker I-"

"I'm just saying," He began again, cutting his friend off with a compassionate tone, "Dude, you look like Skulker just beat your puppy half to death. So all I'm saying is she didn't just forget about you."

His frown deepened into a scowl. "I know, I'm not saying she did, I just wish that I-"

"Well, you can't wish anymore." Tucker replied sternly. "What's done is done man. She's gone. The best you can do is be there for her."

He swallowed thickly, unsuccessfully concealing his emotions. But there was no need for it around Tucker.

A hand was laid on her shoulder in a comforting way. "You'll find someone. It just can't be Sam."

"But I only want it to be Sam." He choked hoarsely, not daring to make eye contact and keeping his voice low.

"I know man," Tucker began sympathetically, "But it can't be. Not anymore. Look at her."

Danny glanced up at the raven haired beauty, his breath hitching at the look on her face.

"Usually, I'd tell you to go for it and sweep her off her feet, but not this time. She's my friend too and she's happy. Happier than she's been for a while. Don't mess that up for her. As her friend."

He nodded mutely, rejoining the conversation the rest of the table was having.

**-Save Your Heart-**

* * *

It was 11:30 PM when he grew tired of sitting and watching everyone dance. Tucker had managed to snag Jazz, and while they did invite him, he just wasn't in a dancing mood.

He was nearly out the door when Sam and her- Ronan, he corrected himself, caught up with him.

"You heading out Danny?" She asked over the music.

He looked happy to see her for a moment, but just as soon as it came it was gone and faded into a sad, forced smile. She chose not to see it. She couldn't. Not today.

"Yeah," He sighed, "I'm feeling pretty tired. I still have some unpacking to do, too."

"Unpacking?" She inquired confusedly.

_Oh._

He forgot to tell her. "Yeah, I'll be sticking around for a while, staying at my parents' house."

"I guess we'll be seeing you then." Ronan spoke for the first time, his voice friendly but knowing.

"I don't think you two have officially met. Danny, this is Ronan, Ronan this is Danny." Sam said excitedly.

"Pleasure to finally meet you Danny, Sam's told me a lot about you." Ronan said, putting a hand out in a friendly manner.

"The pleasure is all mine." He replied, taking the offered hand and using quite the unnecessary grip. They both knew this was more than pleasantries, especially if he'd heard a lot from Sam.

"See you around." Danny said, a small pout in his voice as he saw the grey eyed boy slip an arm around her waist.

"Thank you for coming Danny!" Sam called to him.

He couldn't so much as thank her for inviting him.

**-Save Your Heart-**

* * *

When he got back home that night he nearly punched a hole in the wall. He read himself the letter over and over again, like a prayer that she would somehow get it even though it was far too late. His handwriting was sloppy, but he knew she'd still have been able to read it. She always could.

_Sam,_

_I can't tell you enough how much I've appreciated your letters. I miss home, but more importantly, I miss you. I miss sitting in your huge house and watching movies. I miss having you by my side every day, and sometimes I forget you're not there when I'm off fighting ghosts. Hell, I even miss your ultra-recyclo-vegetarian rants. _

_I see you everywhere I go, and sometimes I wish you could see the places I go. I wish I could've brought you with. I miss the smell of your perfume, and the sound of your voice. I miss you hugging me when I get through a fight. _

_I miss you._

_Which is why, next weekend, I'm going home. I'm coming back for you, Sam. And maybe this is me being stupid, but I hope that you waited for me. And I know it's wrong, and it's selfish, but I can't stand the thought of you with someone else. So I'm coming home. To be with you. Officially. No more fake-out-make-outs. _

_And this is going to sound impossible, but I've loved you every day, even after all this time. All this time only made this clearer for me. _

_I can't wait to see you,_

_I love you._

_Danny_

In one swift, angry motion, he tore the wrinkled paper into pieces, throwing them to the floor. It was selfish of him to think that she'd have waited all that time for him. It was stupid. He had just grown so used to her being _his, _no threats or other boys. But how could he be so stupid as to think that no other man would see her for what he saw her as? How could he be so stupid to think that she wouldn't want someone else after he left her?

"I'm sorry Sam.." He whispered to the night, praying that somehow she'd hear it and forgive him for his foolish thoughts.

He crumpled to the floor, like a wilted flower that lacked sunlight for too long. He repeated the words over and over again, like a mantra to himself, like he could somehow be forgiven and all would be well.

He wanted her, even after all these years he could still have these feelings for her. The look on her face today made his heart flutter and beat fast, clumsy paces. But it wasn't for him. It would never be for him. He had to be her friend now, and he wondered how he ever did it before.

He picked himself up off of the floor, dusting off his suit and feeling exhausted. He carefully removed the tight, heavy pieces of his suit and turned out the lights.

Crawling under the covers, he lay there in the dark, feeling empty and regretful. He almost wanted to drag Desiree out of the ghost zone, but he knew that would only make things worse.

He was spilling out of his teenage bed, his body stockier and taller than before. He rolled onto his side, curling up to his pillows, and prayed for the fatigue to pull him under.

The last thing he remembered was a single tear falling from his eye as his final thought of the night echoed in his dreams:

_Goodbye Sam._

**_A/N: Thank you for all the new follows, favs and reviews! It's much appreciated. The beginning was a glimpse of the future. Sorry this chapter was a little short, but I went back to school this week so I had my hands a little full. I promise the next chapter will be longer and I'll try to update quicker. Enjoy the holiday tomorrow!_**

_Review?;)_


	4. Chapter 3:I Can't Remember to Forget You

**a/n: Hey friends. Sorry for the slow update! So in this chapter, things finally happen, things start to move a bit, I apologize if it went a little fast but keep in mind this is a Danny/Sam story. Anyway, without further ado, here it is:**

_Chapter 3: I Can't Remember to Forget You_

The sun was high in the sky in Los Angeles, his feet burning in his shoes against the pavement. He breathed in the sea soaked air and let out a heavy sigh. He couldn't help thinking about her. Those beautiful lavender eyes and the way she laughed at his cheesy jokes and just _her._

He left again a week after packing. The days went agonizingly slow, and even being with her wasn't really _being with her. _And yes, it was selfish, but he'd always been selfish. He didn't think she even knew he left. He didn't give anyone much time to react, with just one suitcase and the clothes on his back. Amity was supposed to be his home, but it was feeling less like a home and more like a prison these days. He _almost _had her in his arms. _Almost. _But he'd let her slip away.

He walked through the crowds of people, not particularly in a hurry to go anywhere, but just eager to find something to rid himself of the tantalizing thoughts in his head. It had been months and still he thought about her nearly every single day. The days he didn't were celebrated the next, though by celebrating not thinking about her, he was thinking about her.

A quaint ice cream parlor with a vintage, pastel sign seemed to be the place to forget. It was filled with youths and old people, a lovely scene, but it was filled with chatter. Chatter was good. Chatter was distracting.

Picking a red, plush booth to the side, he propped himself up against the window. His eyes wandered to a couple not too far in front of him, old and still very much in love. The woman, she scowled at her husband who's just eaten the cherry off her sundae. He chuckled and kissed her on the cheek, and the scowl on her face melted away to be replaced by a lighthearted smile. He wondered if that would one day be Sam and her husband, but more importantly, he wondered how he'd fit into that picture. That could've been them.

He frowned. Perhaps the ice cream shoppe was not the place for distraction. He sighed, and despite not buying anything, placed a ten dollar bill on the table and began to head out of the door. The bells jingled as he passed through.

A vibrating in his pocket made him pause outside.

The ID read 'Tuck'.

_Tucker! _

He hadn't heard from Tucker in two months! With all the brooding and self-pity, he'd never had time to call! Eagerly, he tapped the green answer button.

"Tuck!" He exclaimed through the phone. "It's great to hear from you! I'm sorry I forgot to-"

"That's great Danny," Tuck began, sounding less excited, "I need to talk to you."

His face dropped. Usually when Tucker said something like that, it was either an intervention, a lecture, or something serious. He assumed it'd be an intervention.

"If this is you intervening, I'm fine." He said solemnly.

"No, no it's not that." He replied quickly, a bit grim.

Danny raised an eyebrow at the tone. Perhaps ghosts had managed to slip through and into Amity again. "Okay…. What's up?"

"I'm sorry Danny, I didn't want to drag you into this right now, but I-I just can't do it on my own anymore, it's just too hard-" He began frantically sounding quite troubled and exhausted.

"You can't do what anymore? Tucker tell me. Are there ghosts? Did someone get hurt?" He began, glancing around and lowering his voice. He stalked away quickly to search for a more private area to discuss what sounded to be very serious matters.

"No, not ghosts. It's not ghosts. There's-" He continued, seemingly attempting to ease the worry in his friend's tone, but failing to ease his own.

"What is it?" Danny demanded, stepping into an alley.

"She's just so sad, all the time, and I can't take care of her on my own. I-I don't know what to do anymore. I wasn't going to tell you until she calmed down, but she just looks so- she doesn't even look like herself anymore."

Danny froze.

_She. _There weren't many different _she_s he could be talking about. But he wanted to make sure, to double check. He didn't want it to be true.

"Who?" He said shakily.

"Sam." He replied.

And then it echoed in his head, the name he could never forget no matter how hard he tried. How had this happened? She wasn't supposed to be sad. How could he let this happen to her? He left again and look what happened. He kept leaving her. Why did he keep leaving her?

"I-I don't understand, she was supposed to be happy! Why isn't she happy? She looked so happy when I left!" He said, his voice growing louder and distraught. The questions were buzzing in his brain, so much so it was almost painful. Did Ronan hurt her? Did he cheat on her? Did he lie about it? Was he _hurting _her?

"She was happy. She was so happy. But something happened. Something bad happened and now she's not and I don't know what I can do anymore because all the time she's just so angry and I don't know what I can say to her without you because I _need _you to help me with her. You've always been better with these things." He said, his voice cracking and for a moment, Danny thought he was crying.

"What happened? Did he hurt her? If he hurt her I swear-" Danny questioned, his voice filling with rage as it raised to a yell.

"He didn't hurt her. He-" Tucker replied, coaxing his friend back down to earth.

"HE WHAT TUCKER?!" Danny hollered, finally losing his patience.

It was quiet a second as he calmed down, his breath coming out in heavy puffs.

In a small voice, Tucker answered him.

"He's dead."

And Danny nearly dropped the phone.

...

...

...

..

3 weeks and 2 days since he died.

She timelined her life from that point now. Going to the grocery store wasn't _going to the grocery store, _it was the only time she'd go out since he passed. She couldn't bring herself to pass the cemetery, so she took a detour around it. She still lived in their apartment, not bothering to wash the sheets because she could still _feel _him in them.

His shirts were still folded and in his dresser across from hers. Sometimes, if she was feeling alone enough, she slept in them because they still smelled like him.

Still, a trip to the grocery store was always good for her. It was letting the small community know that she wasn't completely dead inside, no matter how much she felt like she was. She didn't really eat the food she bought, but it was nice to have in the fridge in case someone came over.

It was unlikely though, now that she'd officially pushed Tucker away when he was the only thing she had left. She was feeling especially stressed two nights ago, and he got in the line of fire.

"_Sam… You need to stop this. He's gone now." Tucker said softly, moving to sit next to her on the couch. He reached out a hand to place on her shoulder, but she slapped it away and abruptly stood up._

"_I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" She screamed, hair messy and tangled in his shirt. _

_He flinched, but collected himself, standing to try again. "Yes, yes you do. It's time to pull yourself together a bit. He… He wouldn't want this." _

_She paused, his words sinking in deep as she thought of him. It's true, he wouldn't want this. But he was gone now. And she was still here. _

"_What do you know?" She snapped, her voice dangerous, "You don't know anything. You didn't know him, you don't even know me."_

"_Sam, I do know you, and I know that this is no way to live." He continued, though knowing better to stay back._

"_I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP! I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO LEAVE ME ALONE!" She shouted._

"_I don't think-" He began, his own voice beginning to grow frustrated._

"_LEAVE ME ALONE!" She shrieked, throwing a vase his way._

_It passed dangerously close to his head and shattered against a wall._

_He spared her one last, betrayed and hurt look before going out the door._

She shuddered in her car, feeling ashamed of herself. She didn't mean it. He knew that, didn't he?

She pulled into the town's only fresh market, parking her dark silvery car under a tree in the lot. It was chilly these days, feeling a lot like mid autumn but only being late september. She tugged her heavy sweater around her tighter. She stepped through the sliding doors and headed toward the fruit aisle. Today was going to be long.

...

...

...

..

The plane ride was mostly quiet. He caught the first one to Ami- to _home._

He supposed he could've flown there himself, but it was a long distance and he was feeling tired. It was faster and easier to just take a plane, for most of the way at least. He didn't have to pack much, just what he brought and a couple new shirts. He was especially nervous now.

He told Tucker to meet him at the Nasty Burger, their usual hangout, but Tucker got caught up with an incident at work. Instead, they were meeting at Sam's, which was far more nerve-wracking than the Nasty Burger.

He didn't have much time to stop at home, so instead he just let his family know he'd be stopping in for a visit. _A long visit._

Depending on exactly how things went, he could be staying quite a while. Sam needed a friend, and he'd have to be that friend he vowed to be the night of her wedding.

Sam's apartment was quaint; a two-flat rather than a large condo. The driveway was empty, signifying that she wasn't home. So instead he sat on her black and white porch, counting the minutes and watching as the cars passed.

He often wondered why Sam drove a car now. He assumed it was her parent's doing. Sam hated cars, hated the way they hurt the environment, hated the noise they made, hated how they broke. But he guessed somewhere down the line public transportation just became too much. He could assume why.

The rumbling of an engine pulled him out of his thoughts and to the driveway to his right. He cursed himself at the sight of her face, turning away and swearing under his breath. He heard the chime of the car locking and stood up, staring, waiting for her to see him.

She was looking down, frowning at a bag of something, but she halted when she got to the walkway and looked up. Her eyes were familiar to him, beautiful flecks of amethyst in those lavender irises. And even with her hair disheveled and matted, her body covered in stained sweat pants and an ugly black sweater, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He dare say she rivaled the way she looked on her wedding.

"Danny." She said, astonishment and a twinge of happiness in her voice.

"Hey Sam." He replied sheepishly. "I'm sorry I didn't call I-"

She cut him off with a tight, loving hug. Her arms squeezed around his neck, and he hesitated a moment before reciprocating with his arms around her waist. And just like that, he knew he was gone again, his face buried in the crook of her neck just like before.

"I missed you." She whispered before pulling back.

Reluctantly, he let go, keeping her at arm's length in case something were to happen. Tucker was right, she did look fragile. Her eyes, though beautiful, lacked the witty spark that they used to have and instead looked like someone had turned out the lights. Light purple bags hung underneath them, evidence of her poor sleeping habits. Her lips were chapped and dry, her face paler than usual and she even looked thinner.

Abruptly, she slapped his face. _Hard. _

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! Leaving without saying anything?! You didn't even call or say goodbye!" She yelled, glaring at him as their pleasant reunion passed.

"I know Sam. I'm sorry." He replied softly, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Seriously," She sighed, "You think you'd have learned your lesson after what happened last time."

He smiled, but it wasn't necessarily amused. It was more like guilt, or somewhere along the lines of pity. She couldn't really tell, and he couldn't either.

"We've got a lot of catching up to do." He said, though he said it more like a fact, like he was hinting that he already knew what he'd missed. And she looked as though she was in pain, her face wincing slightly as he said the words.

"Yeah," She began, "I suppose we do."

And she walked up the walkway, him following her to the door.

She was not wrong when she thought it would be a long day.

**A/N: Again, I apologize for the slow update, I'll try to be quicker in the future. Thank you for all the follows, favs and reviews. Your support is appreciated and I hope you continue to do so in the future, as it typically helps me update faster.**


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